Various bearing structures have been used to support the rotating dryer drum within the cabinet of a dryer. Such support may take the form of a substantially axial shaft extending from the closed end of the drum and received in a suitable bearing. More generally there are bearings on both ends of the drum. In some cases roller bearings have been used at the open end of the drum on which an outside surface of the drum turns. In other cases, the bearing structure at the open end of the drum is mounted to the front panel of the dryer cabinet and provides a generally circular supporting ring that fits inside the open end of the drum. In some cases a felt material surrounds the generally circular supporting ring. In this case, the drum engages the felt material.
In one dryer bearing structure, the dryer bearing comprises upper and lower bearing structural portions fitted together and mounted to the front panel of the dryer cabinet by snapping hooks and/or screws. The two bearing structural portions provide a ring like bearing support surface and form the front bulkhead within the open end of the clothes dryer drum, including an opening for clothes to pass into the drum. The upper bearing structural portion has a plurality of lower frictional wear resistant glides that are mounted to the ring like bearing support surface of the upper bearing structural portion. The glides carry most of the load of the dryer drum at the open end of the drum. The lower bearing structural portion comprises a plurality of air flow openings through which air exits from the drum. The lower bearing portion typically provides a recessed groove or channel extending about the ring like bearing support surface and into which the open end of the drum extends. The channel carries some of the load of the open end of the dryer. A gasket is positioned in the channel in contact with the rotating open end of the drum and provides a lower frictional surface against which the drum rotates. The gasket also reduce noise generation in this part of the bearing. The gasket is prevented from moving axially (perpendicular to a plane defined by the ring like bearing surface) out of the channel by clips formed in the outer wall of the channel. However, the gasket may in some instances be able to slip around or along the channel during dryer operation reducing the benefit of utilizing the gasket. Accordingly, there is a need for a bearing structure that prevents slippage of the gasket along the channel during dryer operation.